The influenza pandemic of 1918 and 1919 was the most deadly flu outbreak in history, killing up to 50 million people worldwide.
In the United States, (population in the US at the time was 103.21 million) the virus is said to have killed around 675,000 people, which in reality, is unknown as recording keeping, like today, was a impossible task in reflecting any degree of accuracy.
Local governments rolled out initiatives to try to stop its spread. These varied by region, and included closing schools and places of public amusement, enforcing “no-spitting” ordinances, encouraging people to use handkerchiefs or disposable tissues and requiring people to wear masks in public.
The following is a pictorial of those historical events 102 years ago….
Continue reading “History: The use of masks during the Spanish flu pandemic, 1918”